Technology New Tech to Save Aircraft from Lightning Strikes

05:50 13 march 2018

05:50 13 march 2018 Source:
International Business Times

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Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have proposed a novel system that could save passenger as well as military planes from lightning strikes . MIT's new tech to protect aircraft from lightning strikes .

MIT engineers are proposing a new way to reduce a plane’s lightning strike , with an This is a field where there was little understanding, and this is really an attempt at creating some understanding of aircraft -triggered lightning strikes , from the ground up.” Write CSS OR LESS and hit save .

A strong lightning jolt can immediately damage the outer structure as well as electrical systems onboard an aircraft. Pilots usually tend to avoid this problem by opting for a safer route, but researchers at MIT think charging a plane could be the way to deal with it.

It is estimated that every commercial aircraft is hit by lightning at least once a year. Of these, nearly 10% of the strikes occur naturally, while the rest are triggered from the aircraft itself — a situation where its exterior acts as an electrically conductive lightning rod which leverages stormy regions to generate strikes.

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At Cardiff University’s Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory in the UK, major airplane manufacturers like Airbus conduct lightning tests on all their newest planes. Now that we have the technology to both test and prepare for lightning strikes , we are bringing lightning -proof tech to our increasingly

An imbalance in the external electrical state of the aircraft results in such strikes. More specifically, while passing through thunderstorms or an electrically charged environment, the aircraft starts polarizing, with one end gaining positive charge and other becoming more negatively charged. This sets off a highly conductive flow of plasma, ultimately leading to the lightning strike.

However, if this imbalance is restored, aircraft-triggered lightning strikes could be prevented, the researchers said while suggesting an automated control system that could electrically charge the plane to a negative level and negate the effect of the more highly charged positive end.

As part of a study sponsored by Boeing, the group used a working model to show how the system, outfitted on an aircraft, would use sensors and actuators to detect plasma flow and generate current to charge the plane to the required level.

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The short answer is, that the lightning usually strikes the aircraft on the nose, and then travels along the skin until exiting the aircraft at one of the extremities. This page may be out of date. Save your draft before refreshing this page.Submit any pending changes before refreshing this page.

Recent experimental flights designed to determine probabilities and causes of aircraft lightning strikes have provided some new information related to a pilot's chances of receiving an in-flight encounter with lightning bolts.

“Numerically, one can see that if you could implement this charge strategy, you would have a significant reduction in the incidents of lightning strikes,” Manuel Martinez-Sanchez, one of the members of the team, said in a release.

The passengers sitting inside will also stay safe as the power levels required for the charge would be lower than what is required for a simple bulb. Plus, aircraft cabins are very well insulated from the external electrical activity, Martinez-Sanchez added.

“We’re trying to make the aircraft as invisible to lightning as possible,” Jaime Peraire, head of MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said in a statement.

That said, bringing the system to life is still a question, at least as of now. The researchers are currently testing it on a metallic sphere in a wind tunnel and plan to make further improvements by expanding to more realistic situations like by flying drones into thunderstorms. This would include bringing down the response time of the system from a fraction of a second to even less.

The work was published in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal.

Aviation fuel shortage grounds Canadian pilots, flight schools .
Thousands of general aviation pilots across Canada continue to be affected as a nationwide fuel shortage enters its third week. On Feb. 13, Imperial Oil notified Transport Canada about possible quality-control issues with aviation gasoline produced at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton since Dec. 28 — specifically concerning the fuel’s electrical conductivity, potentially causing the aircraft’s on-board fuel gauge sensors to display incorrect readings. Aviation gasoline, also known as avgas or 100LL (low lead) is primarily used in smaller, piston-driven aircraft and helicopters.

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Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have proposed a novel system that could save passenger as well as military planes from lightning strikes . MIT's new tech to protect aircraft from lightning strikes .

MIT engineers are proposing a new way to reduce a plane’s lightning strike , with an This is a field where there was little understanding, and this is really an attempt at creating some understanding of aircraft -triggered lightning strikes , from the ground up.” Write CSS OR LESS and hit save .

The UK lab developing new technology to protect planes from - www.techly.com.au

At Cardiff University’s Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory in the UK, major airplane manufacturers like Airbus conduct lightning tests on all their newest planes. Now that we have the technology to both test and prepare for lightning strikes , we are bringing lightning -proof tech to our increasingly

What happens if lightning strikes a plane? - Quora - www.quora.com

The short answer is, that the lightning usually strikes the aircraft on the nose, and then travels along the skin until exiting the aircraft at one of the extremities. This page may be out of date. Save your draft before refreshing this page.Submit any pending changes before refreshing this page.

Recent experimental flights designed to determine probabilities and causes of aircraft lightning strikes have provided some new information related to a pilot's chances of receiving an in-flight encounter with lightning bolts.

Inspecting an aircraft struck by lightning can take up to several hours depending on the aircraft size and visibility. Burned off static dischargers are replaced with new ones. Rivets affected by lightning damage are examined with methods of non-destructive testing and replaced if necessary.

Airplane Improvements for Safety Over the Past Hundred Years - www.brighthub.com

According to studies conducted by Boeing, lightning strikes each airplane flying in the sky an average of two times per year. Most notably, newer aircraft are designed to avoid the electrical discharge using non-conductive polymer covering the aircraft 's shell.

How are aircraft protected from lightning strikes by conductive skin? - aviation.stackexchange.com

New technology improving the lightning protection of modern aircraft . Traditional methods to protect composite aircraft from lightning strike damage rely on a conductive layer embedded on or within the surface of the aircraft composite skin. draft saved .

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